Speedway OKs rental ordinance

[hippiechick]

I'm not sure what I think of this, yet. Anyone ?


http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060613/NEWS02/606130417

Speedway OKs rental ordinance
Officials say fees, fines needed to maintain order; landlords are planning to challenge the action

By Josh Duke

Speedway town leaders passed an ordinance Monday that requires landlords to buy permits for each of their rental units. It also allows officials to inspect rental properties, charges apartment owners annual fees and fines those who let their tenants become a community nuisance.

Billed as a tool to force landlords to better police their rentals, the ordinance was approved by the Town Council. It goes into effect in 90 days. Money collected from landlords will go toward hiring a person to oversee code enforcement in Speedway. While no money goes directly toward police expenses, town officials believe the ordinance will reduce crime by forcing out those who break the law.

Emotions ran high as hundreds of residents packed the Speedway High School cafeteria to hear more about the proposal. Renters complained about the ordinance raising their cost of living and allowing town leaders to invade their privacy through inspections. "I feel safe in my home," said Leslie Tyler, a Coppertree Apartment resident. "Just because I don't own a lawn doesn't make me any less of a resident."

Homeowners in support of the ordinance say the law targets the bad seeds and would reduce crime by getting rid of the habitual lawbreakers who live in apartments.

... more at link ...

[SpeedwayDemocrat]

1. The Party of Less Government Strikes Again...

Yes, those five red, red Republican'ts on the Speedway Town Council shoved another one through on us. While I agree that public safety is important, I don't feel that this ruling was needed IF they had bothered to enforce laws and inspection rules already on the books.
Painting all the apartment complexes in Speedway with the same broad brush is wrong; there are good landlords and bad landlords. Why punish the good ones and their tenants? Why not pursue the bad landlords (the ones who don't run background checks, keep up their properties, etc.)?
Nope, as per usual, they've gone after everybody in a lame attempt to control who lives in Speedway.
This makes me angry and sad to be a resident of Speedway this morning.
I can only hope that the apartment dwellers pursue this in court and PLEASE remember to register and VOTE when the Town Board comes up for re-election (and, don't worry - we DEMS WILL run someone against them, so you WILL have a choice!)

[hippiechick]

2. Yeah, I would have thought there'd be something already

... on the books about basic "landlordership" and pertinent laws, etc ... like duh, if you have a crackhouse in your complex, you start EVICTION proceedings ?!?

On some level this sounds kinda like a money grab re: all the fees and permits they're coming up with.


:hi:

[LiberalFighter]

3. Inspect rental properties???

Inspect while tenants are living in the rental? Does that mean they can enter the premises without the permission of the tenant?

Wouldn't they need to have probable cause to believe that a crime is being committed or in their case a violation of local code? Wouldn't they need to have a search warrant?

Can they have discriminate between homeowners and renters?

[LisaLynne]

4. Good point.

That does seem discriminatory against people who rent. Of course, with the PATRIOT ACT, they can pretty much come into any of our houses and not tell us about it, but still!

[SpeedwayDemocrat]

5. It's headed to the courts...

so I guess the Judges will decide if the law will stand. Attorneys have been hired by both the apartment owners and the apartment renters. More to come...